Push button



H. E. HILL PUSH BUTTON Jan. 18 1927.

Filed Marn e. 192e Illlllll 2? 3 50 f7 a z3 a a 7.9 M g z i w 5 ,6 N,... 'I1 6 h/ Gk/ z M W m.

Patented Jan. 18, 1927'.`

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

HARRY E. HILL, 0F HEIPHTS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR 0F ON'E-HA'L` TO ALMER D.

HTCKEL, 0F MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

PUSII BUTTON.

Application and March s, 192e'. sum No. sasso.

This invention relates to push buttons and more particularly to a push button for use in controlling the horn of a motor vehicle.

An important object of the invention is to produce a push button by means of which the current delivered to the horn may be controlled so that the sound emitted from the horn may be controlled.

A further and more specic object of the invention is to provide a push button which, when engaged with light pressure, completes the circuit to the horn and includes in this circuit a resistance and when engaged with greater force cuts out the resistance so that the full-strength of the current is, supplied to the horn.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a structure such that the resistance contact elements `and lother 'necessary parts of thebutton` may be included 1n a horn button structure of substantially the same size as theA horn button structures now employed.

These ,and other objects lI attain by the construction shown the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a vpreferredembodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a. side elevation ofva push button switch constructed in accordance with my invention; Y y

Figure 2 is a section on thel line 2 2 of Figure 1;V

Figure 4 is a section similar'to' that shown in Figure 2 taken through a modified form of the device; v

Figure v5 is a similar view of a further modification Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of section on the' line3-3 of Fi ure 5.

eferring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally des ignates a support for the horn button, at present disclosed as a nut adapted for en gagement with the upper end of the steer= ing shaft 11 of a motor vehicle to retain the steering wheel 12 in -position thereon. The upper end ofthis-nut has an axial boss 13, the side wall of which immediately adjacent the upper surface of the nut is formed with a peripheral channel 14. A

cylindrical casing 15 is provided, this casdiameter of the boss 13 and having at its upper end an inturned flange 16. The side wall of the casing 15 adjacent its lower end is provided with a plurality of small inwardly extending lugs 17 preferably produced by punching the metal, these lugs reducing the effective interior diameter of the casing at a pointwhere it is less than the external diameterl of the boss. The side wall of the casing is provided with a longitudinally extending notch 18 of considerable depth, this notch lpermitting spreading of the lower portion of the wall so that the lug 17 may passl over the upper endof the boss 13 and engage in the groove 14 to rotatably mount the casing upon the boss. A pressed metal button element is provided comprising a cylinder 19 having an external diam.

eter slightly less than the internal diameter of the casing 15 at the iange 16 thereof. The upper end of the cylinder 19 is closed, as at 20, while at its lower end, it has an 'out-turned .flange 21 of substantially the same diameter as the internal diameter of the cylindrical casing 15.v Abutting the under surface of the flange 21 is a stiff insulating disk 22 which preventsvelectrical contact between the switch elements and the metal button element. The switch elements ,are carried by an insulating disk 23 which,

in each of the structures hereinafter referred to,has atone side a radially projecting arm 24 ofthe same width as the notch 18 and having at its outer end an opening 25, the purpose of which will ypresyentlyy appear.

In each form of theinvention, the disk 23 bears three contacts 26, 27 and 28. In each instance, acurrent feed lead 29 is connected to the contact 26 and an output lead 30 to the contact 27. Each of the cont-acts 27 and 28 project through the under surthe disk 23 and the contact 27 is arranged at the center of the disk and intermediate the contacts 26 and 28. To the contact 26 is secured an upwardly bowed spring blade 32, the central portion of which is slightly offset, as indicated at 33, and the end of which overlies the contact 28. The bow provided is sufficient to permit the free end of the blade to engage the Contact 28 while the blade is still separated from the contact 27 with the result that if the horn button 19 is given a slight push, the contacts 28 and 26 are connected and current flows to the output lead through the resistance 31. If more force is exerted upon the button, the offset 33 comes into .contact with the contact 27 and the resistance 3l is short circuited.

In the form shown Ain Figure 4, the con. tact 26 is located at the center of the disk and upon the same diameter with the contacts 27 and 28 which are arranged adjacent opposite sides ofthe disk. A V-shaped blade 34 has its bight secured to the contact 26 andthe ends 35 of the arms thereof extended over the contacts 27 and 28. The arm which extends over the contact 27 is reinforced by an additional spring element 36 sotliat upon a given pressure upon the horn button, the arm coacting with the contact 28 engages its contact while the other arm is withheld from engagement with its contact. When' greater pressure is applied, however, the arm coacting with the contact 27 is forced downwardly against the action of the reinforcing spring 36 to short circuit the resistance.

In the form shown in Figure 5, the contact 26 is supported from one side of the disk while at the opposite side of the disk, a pair of insulating flanges 37 and 38 have flat faces which oppose one another. One of these elements forms a mounting for the contacts 27 and 28, the contact 28 being arranged uppermost. p'Ihe other element forms a guide for a spring brush 39 carried by the end of a conductor arm 40 pivoted to the contact 26, as at 41. lThe central portion of this conductor arm is abutted by a spring 42, the lower end of which abuts the surface of the disk 23. As the arm 40 is moved downwardly, the spring brush engages consecutively the contacts 28 and 27 withV the results hereinbefore set forth. In each of the constructions above noted, between the lower surface of the insulating disk and the upper surface of the lboss 13, an insulating disk 41 is arranged to prevent any possible short-circuiting of the vswitch elements upon this boss.

`It will, of course, be obvious that the construction hereinbefore set forth is obviously capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of the invention and I -accordingly do not limit myself to such speciic structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1. In a push button switch, a base having i a circular boss, the boss adjacent the base having a groove, a cylindrical casing having the same diameter as 'the boss and having at its upper end an inturned flange, the lower end of the casing having inwardly projecting portions the inner ends of which are arranged upon a diameter smaller than the diameter of the boss, the side wall of the casing having a slot opening through said lower end, a push button slidable through the upper end of the casing and held against removal therefrom by said iange, an insulating disk arranged within the casing and having at one side a projecting arm extending through said slot, contacts carried by said disk, a blade c arried by one of said contacts and having its free end overlying a second contact to engage therewith when moved under the influence of the push button and lead Wires for. said contacts extending through the slot of the casing and through an opening in the outer end of the arm of said insulating disk. A

2. In a push button switch, a base having a circular boss, the boss adjacent the base having a groove, a cylindrical casing having the same diameter as the boss and having at its upper end an inturned flange, the lower end of the casing having inwardly projecting portions the inner ends of which are arrangedI upon a diameter smaller than the diameter of the boss, the side wall of the casing having a slot opening through said lower end, a push button slidable through the upper end of the casing and held against removal therefrom by said flange, an insulating disk arranged within the casing and having at one side a projecting arm extending through said slot, three contacts carried by said disk. a flatly coiled resistance element upon the under surface of the disk and connecting two of said contacts, a blade carried by the third contact and having portions overlying theJ two contacts and selectively engageable therewith upon application of differing pressures to the push button and lead wires connected to the last named contact and to the contact with which the blade engages upon the application of greatest pressure to the push button extended through the slot and through an opening in the outer end of said arm.

3. In a push button, an insulating disk bearing three contacts, a pair of said contacts being connected by a resistance element flatly coiled upon the opposite face of the disk from the contacts, the third contact having attached thereto a spring blade successively engaging the iirst named contacts as the blade moves toward the disk and a button associated with the disk and movable theretoward and engaging the blade, the last aqmeinforcing spring maintaining said arm l named contact being arranged at the center out of engagement vwith its associated con- 10 of the disk, said pair1 of contacts being artact until after engagement of the other of ranged at oposte sides of the disk and of the the arms with its associated contact.

last named contact, said blade being sub- In testimony whereof I'hereimto afix my stantially V-shaped and having its bight porsignature. v

tion secured to the hlast named contact, one

arm of the blade having associated therewith HARRY E. HILL. 

